Milk-bottle holder.



J. I. BANTOM.

MILK BOTTLE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. as, 1911.

1 22,223, Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

JOSEPH I. BANTOIVI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MILK-BOTTLE HOLDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I. BAN'lOM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Milk-Bottle Holders, of which the following is a specification.

The device which is the subject of the present invention is a receptacle adapted to hold milk bottles and the like, and the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved closure for the receptacle which will effectually prevent the bottles from being stolen or tampered with.

The invention also has for its object to provide a simple and efficient latch, and releasing means therefor, which latter can be easily manipulated in order to gain access to the receptacle when the same is empty, but which cannot be operated after the bottle is placed in the receptacle, a second closure being provided which has a lock, the key of which is in the possession of the owner of the receptacle, in view of which the bottles cannot be removed except by the holder of the key.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the device. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a supporting bracket for the device.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the receptacle comprises a bottom 10, side walls 11, a rear wall 12, a hinged front door or wall 13, and a hinged top 14. The bottom and the side and rear walls are stationary. The top is hinged to the front end of the receptacle, as indicated at 15, and has at its free end an opening 16 in which is mounted a cross-bar 17, which latter serves as the keeper of a latch to be presently described. The front door 13 is hinged at one of its vertical edges, as indicated at 18, and carries an ordinary lock 19, so that it may be locked in closed position.

Within the receptacle is mounted a latch which is engageable with the keeper 17 said latch comprising a bar 20 which is arranged Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 26, 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Serial No. 667,639.

vertically within an inclosure mounted in the receptacle against the rear wall 12 there of, and said inolosure comprising a front wall 21, side walls 22, which extend to the wall 12, and a top 23 which is flush with the top of the receptacle and has an opening 24 through which the bar 20 loosely passes. The front and side walls of the inclosure rise from the bottom 10 of the receptacle. In the bottom of the inclosure is mounted a coiled spring 25 one end of which is fastened to the bottom 10, and the other end to the lower end of the bar 20, the spring being under compression when the device is closed. The upper end of the bar has a hook 26 which is adapted to engage over the keeper 17 and thus lock the top 1 1 of the receptacle. Intermediate its ends, the bar 20 has a forwardly extending arm 27, and the wall 21 has a slot 28 through which said arm is adapted to extend, as will be presently described. Above the slot, the wall 21. is covered with a metal strip 29. To the wall 12 is fastened, one end of a flat spring 30 the free end of which bears against the bar 20 and tends to push the same forward.

In front of the inclosure herein described, the receptacle contains a vertical partition 31 extending from the top to the bottom thereof. In front of the partition, the bottom 10 of the receptacle is thicker than its rear portion, and contains a longitudinal recess 32 which opens at its rear end into the space behind the partition, and at its front end to the outside of the receptacle. In this recess is slid-ably mounted a metal strip having at its rear end an upward bend 34, between the partition 31 and the wall 21, said upward bond terminating in a rearward bend which passes into the slot 28 and is adapted to enter the inclosure containing the latch bar 20 and the parts associated therewith. The outer end of the strip 33, on the outside of the receptacle, has a downward bend 36 which serves as a lingerhold to facilitate the manipulation of the strip. At the front end of the bottom 10, inside the receptacle, is a slot 37 through which extends a finger 38, said finger rising a short distance from the bottom, and being fastened to the strip 33. s

The operation of the device is as follows: The party for whom the milk is left locks the front door 13, after seeing that the receptacle is empty, and then pushes the latch bar 20 down against the resistance of the spring 25, and in so doing, the spring 30 pushes the latch bar forward away from the rear wall 12, so that the outer end of the arm 27 is kept in contact with the strip 29. Now, when the hook 26 engages the keeper 17, to hold the top lt closed, the arm 27 011 its downward travel has reached the slot 28, and is projected therethrough by the pressure of the spring 30 against the latch bar. The latch bar is now locked and cannot be pulled up to disengage the hook 526 fromthe keeper 17, and the top is therefore securely locked. The latch bar also engages the end of the bend 35, and thereby pushes the strip 33 forward. The receptacle is now closed and locked, and in order to open it to receive the bottle 39 the strip 33 is pushed in, whereupon the part 35 pushes the latch bar 20 rearward and thereby causes the arm 27 to be withdrawn from the slot 28. This releases the latch bar and the latter is shot upward by the spring 25, and its hooked end 26 is disengaged from the keeper 17. The top 1e may now be swung open and the bottle 39 placed into the receptacle between the abutments formed by the partition 31 and the finger 38, the strip 33 being first pulled out a sufiicientdistance to enable the bottle to be placed in this position. The top is now closed and again locked in the manner already described. Now, 'how ever, the strip 33 cannot be pushed inward to release the latch, because the bottle is between the finger 38 and the partition 31. Hence the top cannot be opened until the front door 18 is unlocked and opened. The bottle is therefore safely held in the receptacle and cannot be stolen or tampered with.

The device may be designed to hold any number of bottles by varying the distance between the finger 38 and the partition 31.

The receptacle will be positioned near the door or a window of the house, or at any other convenient location, so that it is readily accessible.

Fig. 3 shows a support for the receptacle, said support comprising a base board 40 having apertures 41 to receive fasteners whereby it is secured to the wall, post, or other part. The base board carries a bracket arm 42 on which are mounted strips 43 forming a seat for the receptacle. The strips have apertures e4 to receive fasteners for securing the receptacle.

Thepreferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, but it will be understood that various changes in the structural details may be made without a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with a stationary receptacle carrying a closure and a lock there for; of a second closure carried by the receptacle, a latch in the receptacle for the second closure, a keeper on said second clo sure for said latch, a sliding member in the receptacle and operable from the outside thereof for releasing the latch, and an abutment on said member and in the receptacle, between which the article to be held in the receptacle is adapted to be placed to lock the member.

2. The combination with a stationary receptacle carrying a closure and a lock therefor; of a second closure carried by the receptacle, a latch in the receptacle for the second closure, a keeper on said second closure for said latch, means for holding the latch in retracted position, means in the receptacle and operable from the outside thereof for releasing the latch, means controlled by the contents of the receptacle for locking the releasing means, and means for shooting the latch forward.

3. The combination with a stationary receptacle carrying a closure and a look therefor; of a second closure for the receptacle, a latch in the receptacle for the second closure, a keeper on said second closure for said latch, means for holding the latch in retracted position, a sliding member in the receptacle and operable from the outside thereof for releasing the latch, an abutment on said member and in the receptacle, be tween which the article to be held in the receptacle is adapted to be placed to lock the member, and means for shooting the latch forward.

4. The combination with a receptacle hav ing a closure and a lock therefor; of a second closure for the receptacle, a sliding and laterally movable latch for the second closure, a keeper for the latch, a lateral arm on the latch, a slotted wall in the receptacle into the slot of which the arm is adapted to pass when'the latch is retracted, resilient means engageable with the latch for moving the same laterally to place the arm into the slot, means for moving the latch in a direction to withdraw the arm from the slot, means controlled by the contents of the receptacle for locking the last-mentioned means, and means for shooting the latch forward.

5. The combination with a receptacle having a closure and a lock therefor; of a second closure for the receptacle, a sliding and laterally movable latch for the second closure, a keeper for the latch, a lateral arm on the latch, a slotted wall in the receptacle into the slot of which the arm is adapted to pass when the latch is retracted, resilient placed to lock the member, and means for means engageable with the latch for moving shooting the latch forward. 10 the same laterally to place the arm into the In testimony whereof I aflix my signature slot, a sliding member for moving the latch in presence of two witnesses.

in a direction to withdraw the arm from JOSEPH I. BANTOM. the slot, an abutment on said member and in Witnesses:

the receptacle, between which the article to S. J. Lemma;

be held in the receptacle is adapted to be H. G. BATOI-IELOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

